Re-create for your plate

Several years ago, just before Thanksgiving, I was browsing the extensive prepared-foods cases at Whole Foods and happened upon Brussels sprouts with caramelized shallots. They were $8 a pound and I thought, "I can prepare this dish for about half the price."

Since that time, I have been having a grand time re-creating prepared foods I spot at the store. Some places even list the ingredients for each dish, which makes my planning and preparing a snap. Still, I can usually detect every ingredient in a specific dish just by taste.

We’ve come a long way in the prepared-foods department. When I was a girl, supermarkets stocked coleslaw, potato salad, macaroni salad and carrot salad made with mayo and raisins. The 21st century has brought us an array of international choices and you can save a lot of money by setting aside some time to re-create the prepared dishes you see at the store.

Whole Foods offers a delicious Mediterranean Tuna Salad for $7.49 a pound. That may seem a lot for tuna salad, but they use the fresh yellow fin variety. Yellow fin tuna is not as costly as sushi-quality ahi tuna, but if you want to save time, home cooks can use the oil-packed canned variety. Whole Foods’ tuna salad contains pitted imported Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, diced roasted red peppers, chopped red onion, chopped fresh parsley, canola oil, mayo, basil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, honey and chopped hardboiled eggs. Whew! That’s a lot of ingredients, but I pared it down and came up with my own version for you to try at home.

Moroccan Carrots, fresh broccoli rabe with lemon sauce, Cool Couscous Salad, a quick summer sauté of fresh vegetables, Tomato and Cucumber Salad are among the dishes I’ve recreated in my kitchen.

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

Ingredients:

4 (8-ounce) cans solid Albacore tuna packed in oil
1 (15-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and sliced
1 (12-ounce) jar cured, pitted Moroccan or Kalamata olives or a good-sized handful of pitted olives of your choice
1 small red onion, peeled and finely diced
1 (8-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained, rinsed and finely diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
Hellmann’s mayonnaise, to taste
Handful each of fresh basil and fresh Italian parsley, both snipped with a scissors

Directions:

Place the tuna in a serving bowl and mash with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients, one at a time, blending well after each addition.

Chill for at least four hours or overnight.

Serves six.

Note from Phyllis: This is a freeform recipe I like to alter. You can add sliced scallions, a bit of finely grated carrot, minced celery or bok choy to the tuna.

Moroccan Carrots

Ingredients:

1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
Ground cumin, to taste
Ground cinnamon, to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Place the ingredients in a serving bowl and toss well.

Place in the refrigerator for at least four hours or overnight.

Serves four.

Broccoli Rabe Salad

Ingredients:

2 bunches of broccoli rabe
Freshly grated lemon zest, to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in the broccoli rabe and blanch for one minute.

Drain the broccoli rabe in a colander and run under cold water. Allow to cool. If you plan to serve the broccoli rabe within an hour or so, wrap it in a kitchen towel and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

Place the broccoli rabe in a serving bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Toss well.

Serves four to six.

Asian-Style Green Beans

Ingredients:

1 pound haricot verts
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the haricot verts and blanch for one minute. Drain in a colander and run under cold water. Drain well.

Place the haricot verts in a serving bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Toss well.

Serves four.

Note from Phyllis: Haricot verts are thin French green beans. You can substitute regular green beans in this recipe, but blanch them for about three to five minutes, depending on their thickness. Toasted sesame seeds are sold in plastic shakers at supermarkets and specialty stores.

Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 long English cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Snipped fresh basil leaves or fresh dill�

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a serving bowl and toss well.

Serves four.

Note from Phyllis: You can substitute four sliced scallions for the onions.

Cool Couscous Salad

Ingredients:

1 (16-ounce) package couscous
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Cook the couscous according to the package directions.

Place in a serving bowl and allow to cool. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and toss well.

Serves six.

Note from Phyllis: You can add any number of ingredients to this salad. Toasted pine nuts, a sprinkling of cinnamon and a handful of yellow raisins can add a bit of sweetness. You can add some sautéed zucchini and yellow squash, but be sure to dice the squash into bite-sized pieces. Some roasted red peppers, cut into small strips, can also be added to this dish.